The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-23
SLAUGHTER OF THE SELL FAMILY.
The Condemned Boy Confesses and Tells How
and Why the Murders We're Committed.

ST.. Louis, March % "A year ago this month
one of the bloodiest MURDERS or, rather. butch
cries of human beings. known to the annals Of
crime was committed the town of Erie,
Kan. j. W. Sell, we'll to do farmer. and his
whole family, excepting one son-Willie, boy
sixteen years old-were found murdered, their
heads being crushed in and their throats cut from
ear to ear. On chair in the room was found
Ratchet and butcher-knife belonging to the fam
lily, with which the bloody work had been done.
and the boy Willie was found to be covered with
blood from head to foot. He was accordingly
arrested, charged with the crime and at the
July term of the District Court, in 1886, was
tried convicted of murder in the first degree.
and sentenced to be hanged. and. in conformity
to the laws Of that State, is now in the penten-
tiary awaiting the signature of the Governor to
the death-warrant.
There has always been a great diversity Of
opinion among the people as to whether Willie
Sell committed the murder. On the trial there
was no positive evidence and the State utterly
failed to find any motive for the crime On the
contrary. it was proven that Willie was an ex-
ceptionally good boy. and that he and his sister
Ina were most uncommonly fond of each other.
The neighbors all swore to the boys good dispo-
sition, and that he favorite in the com
munity, while his brother Waty, who was older
than he. was not SO generally iiked. The mat.
ter now, however seems to be set at rest, for a
statement is printed this morning, in dispatches
from Erie that the boy. after systematic urging
.and pressing on tn, part of Hon. j. III. Woods,
Ills guardian. and his attorneys, made coIfes-
sion which fits so exactly to the facts and cir
Gums brought at the trial thatit settles
the definitely. The confession is in sub
stance, as follows:
Mother and sister Ina had gone to bed
Father. Waty and l were still up, when the
calves got out and came up around the house
Waty sat at the table reading. and father had
just taken his coat and pants off to go to bed he
told Waty to 60 and put the calves up Waty
said: Let Willie do it; l won't go out now.
Father said that be should 60 and Waty did no,
want to. and while they talking went ou,
-apd got the hatchet, which was sticking in ioe
OF wood outside the door and came back to see
If Waty would aOout with me- | got the hatch
ct to nail up the caif-pen. Father and Waty
quarreling, and had become very mad
When came in where they were with the hatch
ct Waty snatched it ont of my hand and strucB
father several times, at last knocking him down
When l saw what Waty had done j caught hold
of the hntche; and jerked it out of his hands
and. striking at Waty. hit him the head and
he fell down on the floor, and l suppose tha,
killed him. Then mother. seeing what was be
ing done, jumped out of bed screaming, and be
fore / thought what was doing l struck her
Ina, my sister, raised up in bed and screamed
and don't know why did it. but ] struck hel
with rho hatchet, and she fell back They were
all lying quiet. ] took off all my clothes excep
my shirt and drawers. then pulled off Waty'
pants, raised him up and carried HIM into tn,
other room and put him into our bed. Afte
that went bacl. and got the hatchet and pound
= ed his head all to pieces. felt mad at Waty be
cause he had killed father. / went to the cup
board and got the butcher knife and cut Waty'
head nearly off. Then | went back into thu
other room and sat down; did not know wha
to do Then ] thought that if any of then
should come to life they would say killed Waty
go took the butcher-knife and cut their throat
to make sure work of 1t. | then blew out tn
lamp and sat down for several hours, but at las
could not stand il any longer and again lit th
lamp, aud putting my clothes. ran over t
Mr.. Mandalls and told him that some wa
at our house with a hatchet and had hurt .
and ma"